Talk:Eli-Clare Relationship/@comment-3575890-20150630072139
Just went back and read my old testimonial of EClare: Why do I LOVE EClare… Let’s see.. their relationship was properly developed for one, unlike most Degrassi couples who get together and break up in the blink of an eye. Eli and Clare’s friendship was carefully built up over an entire season. They hung out as friends for longer than they dated in their first season as a couple. They got to know each other first. They had even fallen for each other before they were exclusive. Their friendship was actually a major part of the entire basis of their relationship, which in my opinion is the best foundation for ANY romantic relationship. Remember when they actually had amazing development? In fact, if you were to ask me what my favorite aspect of their relationship is, I would say, without a shadow of a doubt, it’s their longstanding friendship. There is a lot of truth to the expression, love is friendship set on fire. I am of the opinion that true love does not exist without friendship for you cannot establish a connection so profound and intimate if you do not know that person inside-out as you would a best friend. Love is the sharing of the parts of ourselves that we do not trust the rest of the world to see. Eli bared his soul to Clare in a time he had closed his heart off to the rest of the world because he and she had built that foundation of trust and understanding. They are friends first and formost before lovers, even though they are deeply in love. It is truly a beautiful connection, these two share. And even years from now when they are (hopefully) married and settled down, they will always be best friends. It is how they began and it is how they will end hopefully only when they are old and grey and death does them part. Remember when their friendship superseded everything else? Another aspect I love about EClare is their individual personalities and how they mesh so well despite that they are basically polar opposites. Yet another commonly-used expression that rings true: opposites attract. In Eli and Clare’s case, this couldn’t be more on point. Eli is the quintessential dark to Clare’s light in every way. She is optimistic and he is pessimistic; she is reserved and he is unruly; she is sweet and he is snarky; she is serene and he is hotheaded; she is conscientious and he is reckless; she is rational and he is impulsive. But this is actually why it works. Her optimism neutralizes his gloom; her reservedness mellows him down; her sweet disposition brings the sweet out of him; her gentleness calms and restrains him; her levelheadedness grounds him. (as well as delivers him a swift kick in the pants when he is reckless and stupid lol) Remember when Eli wasn't Munro? It seems at times that they were literally tailored for each other. Eli is best suited for someone caring, compassionate, understanding and rational to counter-balance his occasional bouts of instability, as well as someone who won’t be a doormat and enable him like a certain other ex-girlfriend of his (though do not get me wrong, I LOVE that girl!). In turn, Clare is best suited for someone who matches her intellect and wit, who shares her interests, and who is sensitive to her feelings and needs, but who also challanges and liberates her. Eli has brought Clare out of her shell. He has encouraged her to take more risks, to broaden her experiences and put herself out there. It is remarkable how much Clare has come into her own since her days of voluntarily wearing a uniform to school and basking in her best friend’s shadow. Although Eli isn’t to credit for all of her development, he absolutely played an integral role in it. And as tired as this sounds, it really is true. Two people who are too much alike make for a BORING relationship. A relationship should be stable and functional, yes, but there also must be excitement, enthusiasm, and passion. Remember when they were actually good for each other? 'What ultimately makes Eli and Clare so appealing, and why I believe they are so popular, is they have this perfect balance of similarity and dissimilarity. They contrast, but they do NOT clash. They are completely dissimilar, and yet strikingly similar. In the ways they are quite a bit alike, it works in their favor - they’re both passionate, sensitive, creative, and intellectual. In that respect, they click best because they mentally stimulate and challange each other in such a way no one else has been able to. Take for instance, that they are both sensitive. This provides a beneficial balance to the relationship because they both are capable of great empathy, and thus are able to understand how the other feels. Remember when they actually supported each other and were compassionate to each other's needs? I honestly feel this ship is built to withstand anything. They have been through so much pain and hardship together, and throughout it all, they are still madly in love, if not more in love than ever before. It seems to me that the only time they ever miss a beat with each other is whenever outside forces are at play. Lmao fucking kill me now. The first time around that they had problems was because they became a couple during a time of hardship for the both of them. Their first breakup was the result of Clare struggling with her parents’ divorce and Eli carrying the full weight of Julia’s death on his shoulders as well as unknowingly struggling with a mental illness. You could take the two most compatible people in the world, put them through the same shit as Eli and Clare went through in season ten, and the relationship would not survive because no matter how perfect two people are for each other, and I honestly believe this of Eli and Clare, if the timing is not right, it’s simply NOT going to work. And timing has always been EClare’s Archille’s heel. Remember when it really was mostly timing that was the problem? The first time they broke up, it was an inevitability given Eli’s broken down state. It was all on Eli, who is bipolar and at the time, was chemically imbalanced and unmedicated. No relationship would have survived that kind of damage. The second time around, it was yet again due to Eli’s instability, which was this time caused by a traumatizing encounter with the corpse of a 15-year-old boy that resurfaced painful memories from his past. Again, the relationship fell apart as soon as Eli did. Only this time it was him that acknowledged he was not in a state to be in a relationship and chose to walk away. Remember when...oh forget it. It goes without saying that this will always be a problem for EClare throughout the rest of their lives. (assuming they will be together forever but shh) But he will be okay — they will be okay — for as long as they have each other, because he is her rock and she is his. They hold each other up in the darkest of times, and are each other’s pillar of strength. Through the many rigorous trials and tribulations, they always come out stronger and better than they were before because their love only intensifies with each time it is tested. If I actually believed in the existence of soul mates, I would deem them as such because it goes without saying that they complete each other and if season 11 was indication of anything, they would not be whole without each other. Though their love is far from perfect, no one ever said the path to true love was a smooth one. If a relationship is picture-perfect, then essentially it isn’t perfect at all. Love is all about the nitty-gritty of every day life. No meaningful relationship escapes the inevitable obstacles and complications that come with being in love. I don't know whether to cry or laugh. Maybe a little bit of both. Oh take me back to the start when I loved them THIS MUCH.